Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #21

Here is another very cool image of La Vida Mineral Springs Resort from about the early 1930s.

The view is from the west, just about directly south of the existing water tank that was in back of the main bathhouse at the property. To the right is Carbon Canyon Road and it is notable that on the south side of the highway, there is a graded area above the road with a sign and what appears to be fence poles and there is a picnic bench, as well as sign simply reading "EAT."

Directly ahead in the line of sight of the photographer is a picnic area with perhaps ten or twelve picnic benches laid out beneath the shade of some towering eucalyptus trees. some of which are still standing (albeit charred from the fires that broke out exactly a year ago last weekend.)

It appears that something was added to the base of the trees up to about six feet high, possibly to keep critters from climbing the trees? Back behind the trees is a parked car Finally at the far left there is a portion of what appears to be one of the several small cabins that were placed next to Carbon [Canyon] Creek.

This card is labeled at the bottom, "La Vida Mineral Hot Springs, Calif." and the number (probably a series number) "7" is at the bottom right.

Postally unused, the item has space on the reverse for correspondence, an address and a stamp box.

Other cards from the same period that make for interesting comparisons and contrasts are found in posts from 15 June 2009 (Carbon Canyon Historical Artifact #16) and 18 December 2008 (CCHA #10.) As always, clicking on the image will zoom it in so that you can see greater detail.

This is item 2009.10.1.1 from the Carbon Canyon Collection.

Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center Work Restarted?

Last Thursday and today some workers were observed on the site of the stalled Chino Hills State Park Visitor Center next to Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea.

A bond-funded project, the visitor center had some initial concrete and steel structural work completed before the economic meltdown shuttered the project months ago. Meantime, the work fence was largely toppled and weeds grew back on the property.

So, whether the workers were there to clean the place up a little or if they are back to resume substantial work on the center remains to be seen. It was only a matter of weeks ago when it seemed quite possible that the Governor was going to shut down most of the state parks, although that terrible scenario has been forestalled for the short term.

An eye will be kept out to see what further work might be done with the Visitor Center.

Carbon Canyon Landslide Mitigation Measures

Among the work recently conducted by CalTrans and/or its contractors along Carbon Canyon Road (State Route 142) has been the shoring up of a very steep hillside cut (made years ago when the highway was moved from the canyon bottom along Carbon [Canyon] Creek) on the north side of the highway, just west of Olinda Village in Brea.

The project consisted of attaching netting (what appears to be steel and some fibrous materials) to the hillside to prevent rocks and dirt/mud from sliding down onto the roadway. This is in anticipation of what could be a heavy rain year due to El Niño conditions expected in the Pacific Ocean this winter.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA):

Expected El Niño impacts during November 2009-January 2010 include enhanced precipitation over the central tropical Pacific Ocean and a continuation of drier-than-average conditions over Indonesia. For the contiguous United States, potential impacts include above-average precipitation for Florida, central and eastern Texas, and California, with below-average precipitation for parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Obviously, the crucial wording here is "potential", but should heavier than average precipitation occur, there is the factor of last fall's Freeway Complex fire, which burned a considerable portion of the Brea side of the Canyon. With only a limited amount of plant regrowth thus far, it is possible that a major drenching in upcoming months could cause substantial sliding.

Whether the measures taken in this project will work or not, of course, remains to be seen.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #3058

Just minutes ago, as I finished the "Olinda Village Signal Update" post, I heard the familiar squeal of tires and the churning of dirt. Sure enough, a car heading westbound on Carbon Canyon Road took the sharp curve too fast here in "downtown" Sleepy Hollow and decamped from the roadway, although only onto the shoulder and atop the asphalt berm put up by CalTrans last year after a couple of vehicles veered off the roadway and down the steep embankment toward Carbon [Canyon] Creek. Because of the berm, tonight's stray traveler was able, after a few false attempts to reverse out, to hit the gas hard enough to extricate themselves from the spot and head off on their merry way.

It is probably more than relevant to mention that we have had a few drops of light rain this evening and, predictably, there are always those drivers who see absolutely no compelling reason to change their behavior, even when common sense dictates that roads become "slippery when wet," as those inconvenient traffic signs often announce.

By Carbon Canyon standards, this was just about a non-event, but it is a reminder that, if heavy rain does occur this winter as some are forecasting, we might well have a significant spate of accidents to contend with.

It could get interesting!

Olinda Village Signal Update

As the accompanying photograph shows, it appears the below-ground and surface-level portions of the Olinda Village traffic signal project are completed. The eletrical wiring seems to be all in, cement sidewalks and access ramps poured, and the cement bases for the signals and advance warning signs placed.

At the moment there is a lull in the work, likely because the signal fixtures are on their way. Sometime early in 2010 the project should be completed and then we'll see what kind of impacts the signals will have on Carbon Canyon Road traffic.

For the residents of Olinda Village and the Hollydale Mobile Home Estates, there will be infinitely easier access to entering the highway. The crux will be the effects manifested in the busiest times as the flow of traffic is slowed and stopped by the signals allowing the ingress of vehicles from sidestreets.

It may well be that the presence of this first signal in the 95-year history of Carbon Canyon Road will not be that dramatic. As Chino Hills, however, plans on adding signals at two locations (Canon Lane and Canyon Hills Road), the prospects for significantly lengthening the commute along the highway are certainly much greater.

It will be interesting to see what changes occur when the signal is up and running.

On the Skids in Carbon Canyon #2929

This latest example is actually a fairly old one, dating back several weeks, but is an impressive and lengthy skid that is on the westbound lane near the centerline of Carbon Canyon Road on the downslope from the summit at Olinda Village in Brea. I have no idea whether there was an accident linked to this or not, but it is pretty clear from the substantial distance of the skid that the driver must have been flying down the highway at a goodly pace.

The photos were taken this morning and the lines at the far right are not skid marks, but, rather, shadows of the power poles on the south side of the street. By the way, it seems quite obvious that the Orange County side of SR 142 is increasingly in need of some repairs, with the cracks in this photo being only some of the many that are appearing and widening over time.

Incidentally, a Carbon Canyon couple recently were in a head-on collision about two weeks ago with a motorcyclist who strayed into the oncoming lane, right in front of the old La Vida Mineral Springs property, also in Brea.

Also, a week ago last Sunday, the 1st of November, an Edison crew was working on a power pole in an area that has had a number of driver-induced downings of these poles in Sleepy Hollow, on the south side of the highway, just west of the Canyon Market (formerly Party House Liquor) and just east of the Rosemary Lane/Hillside Drive intersection.

This was a Sunday, so it seems highly unlikely that it was a routine scheduled maintenance, and was more likely an emergency. As to whether it was traffic-related is only a surmise, but if anyone knows more and would like to comment, any information would be welcomed.

Finally, the directional sign that was plowed down on Carbon Canyon Road in the midsection of the hairpin curves in Chino Hills at the end of last month has been reinstalled by CalTrans within the last several days, although it is no longer standing on a wooden pole, but with a brand new steel one. We'll see how long it remains upright.

Sleepy Hollow Recollections: Paul Nolan Hyde--Canyon Boy, 1948-1959: #2

Here is the second of three short remembrances sent to me by Paul Nolan Hyde, a Utah resident, who lived in Sleepy Hollow for a decade in the 1940s and 1950s. This relates to a matter that most of us who've lived in the community and the Canyon for at least a few years generally have experienced.

Snakes in the Garden

The Canyon was filled with rattlesnakes, but during the ten years that we lived in Sleepy Hollow, I can only remember seeing one alive. That happened at the Old Cabin, just shortly after we arrived. I saw the snake trying to make its way down to the creek by way of the dry water course that ran from Oak Way Lane down to stream bed for a drink. I do not remember being afraid, but I think that I provoked my mother to that emotion when I announced to her what I had found. I remember my mother going out to see for herself and I think that some of the neighbors became involved in the fray. I do not remember if the snake escaped; I hope that he did. I have come to believe that rattlesnakes are, for the most part, mostly reclusive and seldom invade human space save for an occasional sip at a stream or a lake.

Garden snakes in the Canyon were abundant as well as King snakes and Queen snakes. These latter two were natural enemies of the rattlesnake. We did not kill these kinds of snakes, but we certainly made use of them. Hardly a month would go by during which a snake was not taken to school on the bus. We generally kept them in our jacket sleeves with their heads in our hands so that we could easily terrorize one or more of the girls during the thirteen-mile trip to Chino. We were gloriously successful. On Snake Days, we boys pretty much had the back of the bus to ourselves. Even the bus driver left us alone. I am not sure what happened to all of those snakes which were transported to Chino and then confiscated by teachers, counselors, principals, and custodians. My guess would be that there is a dearth of rattlesnakes within the Chino city limits even today.